he agreement on CAP
reform in Brussels and
Luxembourg in June
marked a major success
for the Irish presidency of the
European Union and reflects
well on the Minister and the
many Irish officials who worked
round the clock to achieve an
agreement involving, for the
first time, 27 ministers at the
Farm Council, negotiating in
turn with the Commissioner and
the European Parliament.
To say that this was challenging
is an understatement, but it has

certainly done a lot for Ireland’s
credibility. However, the outcome
provides for a lot of flexibility and
this is where the challenge only
begins as Minister Coveney and
his officials begin the process of
consultation with organisations
such as ICSA on the finer details.
The key unknown which was
determined was that the flat rate
is now optional and it is certain
that Ireland will opt instead for a
form of approximation (internal
convergence) which is governed by
one compulsory condition which
is that the minimum payment per

eligible hectare shall be 60% of
the national average.
As it stands, the Department
figures suggest that bringing all
the eligible hectares up to this
60% requires an average cut of
12% from those above the average
with a maximum cut of 30%.
However, this is after we first
adjust payments downwards by up
to 8% to cater for young farmer
top up, national reserve, linear
cut etc.
There is also the possibility of
front loading payments on the first
continued page 2

ALSO
in this issue
ICSA centre
stage in
European
Parliament
Page 4
ICSA partners
with Zurich
and Sparrow
Insurance
Page 8
Increasing
live exports:
ICSA puts the
pressure on
Page 15
The Drystock Farmer
is published by The
Irish Cattle and Sheep
Farmers’ Association.
3 Gandon Court,
Fairgreen, Portlaoise
Edited by
Kathy McKenna
Advertising by
Belinda Corby

2

farmer

CAP Reform - continued from page 1

32 ha. Whether this is
taken up will very much
depend on the maths and
the practicalities, with the
reality that the very many
small farms will only gain
a small increase from the
very few large operations
in Ireland.
There is also the
possibility of a maximum
payment per ha and
suggestions that this
could be around €650/
ha have been floated but
the agreement allows for
any possible figure. Again
the key determinant will
be whether the effort is
worth it.
Recoupling is also a
possibility (see article
below) with Ireland being
given the option of cutting
the Pillar 1 payment by a
further 10%. One fifth of
this- 2% - is ring fenced
for protein crops meaning
that, if we opt to cut we
can use 8% for sucklers,
sheep and- as suggested
by some farm leaders, but
not by ICSA -small dairy
farmers.
The key winners are
qualifying young farmers
who will get a top-up of
25% for up to five years on

ICSA president Gabriel Gilmartin, general secretary Eddie Punch, and beef chairman Edmond Phelan discussing the outcome the of the CAP
deal with Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney in the European Parliament

AGREEMENT ON
CAP WELCOME BUT
COMPROMISE IS
FAR FROM IDEAL

I

CSA president Gabriel Gilmartin has
welcomed agreement on CAP reform which
has been very difficult and led to a lot of
uncertainty for farmers.

ICSA CAP committee chairman, Billy Gray

their Pillar 1 payment.
ICSA will continue the
process of membership

consultation and is
already engaging with the
Department on the details.

Key Objectives for ICSA
• N
o return to coupled payments which
involve cutting farmers’ Pillar 1
payment by up to 10%
• E
nsure that Pillar 2 payments,
including DAS, agri-environment and
improving competiveness and viability
are all designed to maximise support
for low income cattle and sheep
farmers.
• F
avour limiting Pillar 2 payments to
farmers who can show an economic
need for support and that payments
are targeted in a fair way to those who
need them most.

• Campaign for conditions to be
linked to getting an increased
Pillar 1 payment so that higher
payments can be targeted at
active and young farmers.
• Support a minimum stocking
rate to prevent armchair farmers
getting a windfall payment of 60%
of the national average.
• Support the top-up for young
farmers and aim to ensure that
no deserving young farmer
loses out through bureaucratic
anomalies.

However, he said that the compromise remains far
from ideal because it is linked to the original flawed
concept of a flat rate payment. “ICSA is not happy to
see cuts to payments for active farmers with modest
payments but at least the more severe elements of the
original plan have been watered down to the extent
that many farmers will live with the compromises.”
“An average cut of 12% on top of 2% for young
farmers, 3% for national reserve along with linear
cuts and crisis fund cuts are too severe for many
farmers but the original proposal for a flat rate would
have meant cuts of 30-50% for many active farmers.”
He said that the 60% minimum payment will
provide a welcome increase for some farmers but
the fact that it seems likely that all landowners
will qualify for a minimum payment of 60% of the
average means that we are missing an opportunity
for a really worthwhile increase to progressive and
active farmers, which could have been achieved
with greater targeting.
“There is too much emphasis on levelling the field
and not enough on helping those who want to help
themselves. This CAP reform has been based on a
flawed principle right from the start of moving all
hectares to a flat rate. While we are not going to
have a flat rate, the concept of a minimum of 60%
for all hectares regardless of farming activity is still
a flawed reform,” he concluded.

farmer 3

Going back to Coupled PaymentsTurkeys Voting For Christmas?

T

he option
for limited
recoupling set
out in the CAP
reform framework
has led to a frenzy of
speculation that the
suckler cow could
benefit from a recoupled
payment. Of course, the
real question is whether
the suckler farmer will
benefit and this has
been lost in most of the
comment to date.
On the face of it, everybody
loves a free lunch and
when hard pressed suckler
farmers are being codded
into believing that there is
such a thing- worth maybe
€100, maybe more in
some of the more fanciful
suggestions- then there is
no surprise that recoupling
starts to get momentum.
However, there is an
obligation to tell farmers
the hard facts and then
to analyse the likely
consequences of any
decision to recouple.
To start, there isn’t a
single extra euro in this
for Irish farmers. The
recoupling option is not an
extra payment, it is money
obtained by first cutting
every single payment by
an extra 8%. We have
just concluded a most
difficult CAP reform where
farm organisations, ICSA
included, argued that
the more active farmers
were going to be severely
hit, even allowing for the
watered down option of
internal convergence.
While the final outcome
is certainly better than
the flat rate proposals of
Commissioner Ciolos, the
more active farmers face
an average cut of 12%

arising out of the decision
to introduce a minimum
payment per ha of 60% of
the average.
The average cut of 12%,
hides the fact that at the
upper end, farmers with
bigger payments will be
cut 28%. This is not the
end of it however. In fact,
before the re-distribution
is taken into account, the
total national envelope
will have up to 8% of a
reduction arising from
linear cuts, young farmer
top up, national reserve
etc. So that means that
the average cut for the
farmer who had an above
average single payment
is more likely to be in the
region of 20%.
If we go for re-coupling,
then we are voting for a
further 8% cut (or 10%
if we decide to grant a
coupled payment for
protein crops). This is
clearly a matter of not
only robbing Peter to pay
Paul but also robbing Paul
as well.
Then there is the question
of who benefits. While a
lot of the talk has been
about the suckler cow,
what about the ewe? The
stark facts are that sheep
production has declined
much more significantly
than sucklers so why
should the sheep man be
cut in order to help keep
suckler cow numbers up?
It’s also fair to suggest
that if the beef finisher
takes a further 8% hit to
pay for the re-coupling,
then the beef finisher will
bring 8% less money to
the mart to buy weanlings,
meaning that there is less
competition all round.

The suckler farmer might
have a suckler premium
but will that really make
up for less money at the
ringside?
In terms of straight
maths, 8% of the €1.215
billion is around €97
million. In 2012, there
were 1.116 million calves
born to beef breed cows.
This was a substantial
increase from 2010,
where there were 980,000
suckler births, which
in itself shows just how
one sided the debate has
been. So if we went for a
suckler premium based
on 2012 figures, the rate
per cow would be around
€84/cow. However, if we
decided in fairness that
the sheep man should
get €10/ewe, then there
would be €64/cow.
€64/cow and €10/ewe
is not so attractive but
that’s what the facts are.
Talk of €150/cow is pie in
the sky. However, some
commentators believe
that we could top up the
suckler payment by using
some of the Pillar 2 Rural
Development money. For
sure, there is a case to use
rural development funds
for sucklers and sheep.
However, any proposal to
use Pillar 2 is contingent
on EU approval for an
Irish Rural Development
Programme.
In the event that we tried
to use Pillar 2 to add
to a recoupled Pillar 1
payment, it is most likely
that the EU Commission
would correctly interpret
this as Ireland trying
to circumvent the EU
agreement to limit
recoupling to 8% and
it could potentially

lead to the Irish Rural
Development Programme
being rejected with
consequent delays in
getting a new programme
off the ground.
ICSA believes that the
best way to benefit
suckler and sheep
farmers is through
targeted measures
in Pillar 2 aimed at
progressive and active
farmers whose viability
is under threat. This is
most likely to succeed
however, if we do not opt
for Pillar 1 re-coupling.
However, the real issue
is what is the knock on
effect of re-coupling.
If we re-couple we are
signing on for keeping
numbers higher than
they might otherwise
be just to draw down
a suckler premium.
Plentiful cattle
supplies is ideal for
meat factories but it is
never in the interest of
farmers. The drop in
suckler calvings in 2010,
along with increased live
exports, provided a key
stimulus to the improved
prices in 2011.

Now we have some
farm representatives
campaigning for policies
that will do the exact
opposite to what happened
in 2010-2011. In other
words, keep suckler
numbers high, which give
the meat factories the
ideal opportunity to drop
prices. Already we can
see a glimpse of where
we might be heading as
the sharp increase in
calvings in 2012, combined
with lower live exports
is leading to downward
pressure on price.
Re-coupling would
copper-fasten those
conditions for the
next seven years. Not
re-coupling provides
farmers with more
flexibility to reduce
numbers which in turn
will support price.
No wonder the meat
industry has been
lobbying hard for
coupled payments but
it is incomprehensible
how some farm leaders
could fall for this. As
the old phrase goes, it’s
like turkeys voting for
Christmas.

4

farmer

ICSA CENTRE STAGE IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

ICSA Ireland North West
Exhibition a huge success

W

hile the CAP
talks were
in their
critical final
stages, ICSA had the
honour of representing
the farmers and produce
of the North West of
Ireland in a European
Parliament exhibition
hosted by Jim Higgins
MEP. The exhibition was
one of the showcase
events of the final days
of the Irish Presidency
of the EU, with ICSA in
pride of place as the
only farm organisation
invited to participate.

With the emphasis of
the exhibition being
MEP Higgins’ Ireland
North-West constituency,
a delegation of ICSA

national executive
members based in the
region was sponsored
by the MEP to attend the
event. Cathal O’Reilly
(Mayo), Pat Loughnane
(Galway), Edmund
Graham (Monaghan),
Paul Brady (Cavan) and
Austin Stevenson and
John Barron from Donegal
travelled over to Brussels
in the last week of June,
with ICSA staff members
Geoff Hamilton and Kathy
McKenna.
An impressive display
in the most prominent
exhibition space in the
Parliament building
focussed on the ICSA
members that travelled
to the event. A series of
posters detailed the type of

ICSA delegation arrives at the European Parliament on Day 1 of the exhibition

farming operations they
run, the top-quality beef
and lamb they produce for
the consumers of Europe
and crucially, what the

Jim Higgins MEP, who hosted the event, giving his speech at the reception

CAP means for them and
their farms. This was the
key element as it was
critical that the MEPs
visiting the exhibition

came away with a strong
sense of what was needed
by these farmers as the
future of the CAP was
being decided.

Parliament staff setting up the reception area

A section of the crowd that attended the ICSA exhibition in the European Parliament

farmer 5

MEP Pat The Cope Gallagher with ICSA’s John Barron and
Austin Stevenson

ICSA’s Rural Development chair John Barron speaking at the event. Mr Barron provided
the crowd with an immediate reaction to the CAP developments in Luxembourg

The highlight of the
exhibition was a reception
on Tuesday 25th of
June, where Jim Higgins
organised a display of
traditional, quality Irish
food and drinks to be
served. On behalf of ICSA,
rural development chair
John Barron outlined the
unique place the farmers
of Ireland North-West hold
at the heart of Europe.
“We are farming in some
of the most disadvantaged
land in Europe. Daily we
have to overcome the
challenges of climate,
the problems of poorer

soil, the fact that many of
us are farming at higher
elevations. Yet we are
committed to producing
the best food we can,
utilising the resources we
have.” With ICSA president
Gabriel Gilmartin and
general secretary Eddie
Punch closely monitoring
developments in the CAP
talks in Luxembourg, Mr
Barron was able to give
the assembled crowd an
up-to-the-minute reaction
to the new reforms.
Speaking at the
reception, Jim Higgins

said, “The ICSA plays a
constructive and vital
role in representing their
members in Ireland and
in Europe. Their work
on CAP reform has been
impressive and time and
time again, they have
delivered informed,
determined arguments
to support active farmers
who need CAP support.
I want to congratulate
them on their hard work
and thank the delegation
for joining me here in
Brussels to celebrate the
Irish farming industry.”

Sean Kelly MEP with ICSA’s Cathal O’Reilly and Paul Brady

continued page 6

Event organiser Jim Higgins MEP with ICSA’s Paul Brady of Cavan

Mairead McGuinness MEP with Edmund Graham of Monaghan

The exhibit all set up and ready to go

ICSA’s Edmund Graham and Pat Loughnane with Marian Harkin MEP

6

farmer

ICSA EXPO - continued from page 5

The reception and
exhibition as a whole
garnered huge exposure
for ICSA among some of
the most influential people
in Europe. Many MEPs,
including most Irish MEPs,
attended the reception,
along with senior officials
at both European and
Irish Government level.
In addition, the ICSA

display stayed in place for
the entire week, where
it was visible to the EU
Agriculture Commissioner
Dacian Ciolos and the 27
Ministers for Agriculture
when they arrived en
masse to the European
Parliament on Wednesday
26th of June to conclude
the negotiations which
had been underway
in Luxembourg on the
Monday and Tuesday.

Independent Ireland North West MEP Marian Harkin speaking at
the event

A huge crowd attended the ICSA “From Farm to Fork” reception. The event garnered huge exposure for
ICSA, with many MEPs, senior European officials as well as officials from the Departments of Agriculture,
an Taoiseach and an Tanaiste coming to view the exhibition and speak with the ICSA delegates

Kelleher has welcomed
the announcement
by Minister Coveney
that there would be a
compensatory payment for
BVD positive calves in the
suckler herd. The payment
of €100 applies to second
and all subsequent calves
in a herd that are culled
because they test positive
for BVD.
“The compensation will
not come anywhere near
the value of a suckler calf
in most cases but at least
it is recognition that the
impact of losing a quality
calf is particularly severe
in low margin suckler
enterprises.”

Mr Kelleher also argued
that the compensation
should extend to cover the
first calf in every herd.

agrees with the Minister
for the Environment that
the current permissive
access regime for
recreational enjoyment of
hill areas is working well.
Maintaining this while
continuing to debate the
issues surrounding access
to the countryside is a very
pragmatic decision.”

ICSA welcomes
‘pragmatic decision’
on Access to the
Countryside Bill

The Irish Cattle and Sheep
Farmers’ Association
has welcomed the
Government’s “pragmatic
decision” not to press
ahead with legislation
in relation to access
to the countryside for
recreational use.
ICSA Connaught/Ulster
vice president and
member of Comhairle na

The Irish Cattle and Sheep
Farmers’ Association
says the preliminary
estimates under the
National Farm Survey

farmer 7

show that the viability
of cattle and sheep
farms is very precarious.
ICSA president Gabriel
Gilmartin said, “It is clear
that these farms are
particularly vulnerable
to any cuts in direct
payments because direct
payments are so vital
to actual family farm
income.”
“Whereas direct payments
contributed 32 per cent of
dairy farm incomes, they
account for 132 per cent
of cattle, 118 per cent of
suckler and 118 per cent
of sheep incomes. While
the percentage fall in
dairy incomes is highest
at 24 per cent, the 8-11
per cent fall in cattle and
sheep incomes is from a
very low base.”
“The reality is that
average incomes are
€11,743, €17,621 and
€16,898 on suckler,
cattle and sheep farms
respectively, compared
with €51,648 for dairy
farms.”
“This demonstrates the
importance of ensuring
that the Single Payment
for low income cattle and
sheep farmers must be
protected to the greatest
extent possible. It also
highlights the reality that
Pillar 2 rural development
money must be directed
to the greatest extent
possible to the low income
cattle and sheep sectors
under the CAP reform. It
also has to be taken into
account when considering
how to handle rural
development funding in
the interim 2014 period,”
Mr. Gilmartin concluded.
ICSA welcomes Burger
King’s Irish beef
announcement

The Irish Cattle and Sheep
Farmers’ Association

welcomed Burger King’s
decision to recommence
using Irish beef in its
burgers as a vote of
confidence for the beef
produced by Irish farmers.
The decision was
announced by the
restaurant giant at the end
of May.

ICSA welcomes
appointment of Tom Hayes
as Minister for State at the
Department of Agriculture

However, ICSA president
Gabriel Gilmartin warned
that “we cannot ever
allow a situation to arise
again where we could
face losing these types of
contracts.”
ICSA welcomes
announcement
of microchipping
regulations

ICSA national sheep
chairman, Paul
Brady, welcomed the
announcement by the
Minister for Agriculture
in late March that he
intends to introduce new
regulations requiring all
dogs to be microchipped.
Mr Brady said, “ICSA has
being campaigning for
compulsory microchipping
for over ten years. I am
delighted that the Minister
has taken our concerns
on board and taken
this important step in
promoting responsible dog
ownership.”
“This will go a long way
towards tackling the
problem of out-of-control
dogs attacking flocks
of sheep. It is often all
too easy for dog owners
to simply turn a blind
eye to the fact that even
cherished family pets
can and do turn into
dangerous marauders,
decimating flocks and
inflicting savage injury and
stress on the remaining
sheep. Making sure that
dog owners will be held
accountable if their pet

ICSA president Gabriel Gilmartin and beef chair Edmond Phelan in conversation with new Minister of
State at the Dept of Agriculture, Tom Hayes, in the European Parliament

T

he Irish Cattle and Sheep
Farmers’ Association has
welcomed the appointment
of Tipperary South TD Tom
Hayes as Minister for State at the
Department of Agriculture, Food
and the Marine.

ICSA president Gabriel Gilmartin
said, “I would like to wish Minister
Hayes the best in his new role and
ICSA looks forward to working with
him for the betterment of Irish
agriculture into the future.”

carries out an attack
on vulnerable sheep
through the microchip will
encourage responsible
ownership and will
certainly be helpful in
reducing the risk of
attacks.”
“Enforcement will be
crucial. I would also be
urging the Minister to
bring this into force as
quickly as possible, and
to ensure that the cost
is kept to the absolute

Microchipping is a quick, inexpensive procedure

minimum for households,”
Mr Brady concluded.
ICSA has sent a detailed

response to the Minister’s
call for submissions on
dog microchipping – read
more on page 14.

8

farmer

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on Zurich Farm Insurance in conjunction
with Sparrow Insurance Brokers

I

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10

farmer

President’s Address
Gabriel Gilmartin - President, ICSA

J

ust half-way
through and 2013
has already been
a tumultuous year.
Two crises (in the
form of the horsemeat
scandal and the
fodder shortage) have
severely tested the
mettle of Irish farming
and after a long and
tortuous process, we
have agreement on
CAP reform. Perhaps
a breather is now in
order for the sector as
a whole!
We finally saw agreement
reached on the future

of the CAP at the end of
June. Having been deeply
involved at national and
EU level every step of
the way, ICSA is certainly
glad to see agreement;
however, the compromise
is far from ideal. An indepth analysis is in our
front page article.
I would like to take the
opportunity to thank
Minister Simon Coveney
and his officials for their
hard work in actually
achieving agreement and
limiting the worse impact
of the original proposals.

ICSA had the honour of
presenting one of the
showcase events of the
final days of the Irish
Presidency in Brussels.
Organised by Ireland
North West MEP Jim
Higgins, the exhibition
took place during the last
week of June in one of the
most prominent parts of
the European Parliament
building. Showcasing the
farmers of the region and
their top-quality produce,
ICSA re-affirmed its
credentials as an effective
lobbying force for Irish
cattle and sheep farmers
at the heart of decision-

making in Brussels - more
on p4.
As an organisation, a
huge amount of time
was dedicated to finding
solutions to the problems
created by the acute
fodder shortage. The
challenge now is to do
what we can to avoid such
a catastrophe in future.

Finally, in the midst of
all the turmoil, the voice
of ICSA standing up for
our members has been
loud and clear. The past
number of months
has seen ICSA prove
itself to be consistently
motivated, determined
and effective by and on
behalf of you, our valued
members.

Looking back on a crisis:
ICSA action on fodder shortage

I

t would be hard for a visitor to
Ireland to imagine that just a
couple of months ago, we were
in the grip of one of the worst
grass and fodder shortages in
memory.
ICSA was one of the first groups
to get stuck in and tackle the issue
in a practical way. In July 2012,
ICSA president Gabriel Gilmartin
warned that the banks “must sit up
and recognise the reality of what’s
happening on the farms... We must
be allowed to access credit and
trade through what we know will be
a very tough winter.” As the crisis
dragged on, ICSA held talks with
the major banks and encouraged
anyone experiencing difficulty in
accessing credit to contact ICSA’s
national office for support.
In August, Mr Gilmartin visited West
Cork, where almost constant rain
since April had left many farms in
extremely poor condition. Even at
that stage, housed cattle had no
fodder in some cases, and ICSA’s

West Cork chairman and suckler
chairman Dermot Kelleher was
receiving distress calls on an almost
daily basis from local farmers.
A delivery of straw bales was
organised and subsidised by ICSA
for some of the worst-hit farms in
the area.
When the Department announced
the fodder transport subsidy
scheme in the wake of a dreadful
spring, ICSA launched into action
quickly, importing many dozens
of loads of good quality fodder
bales as quickly as they could be
sourced and transported. ICSA
also organised several loads of hay
from Carlow to be delivered to the
North West, as part of an appeal for
farmers with surplus fodder to sell
it to those in dire need.
With the worst of the crisis now
over, ICSA is looking ahead and
working hard to ensure that
our members will not be so
vulnerable in future. ICSA has
called for new Minister of State

ICSA president Gabriel Gilmartin with local farmer Eddie McPartlin at one of the
ICSA fodder deliveries at Manorhamilton Mart

Tom Hayes to be put in charge
of the national emergency
task force ICSA is calling
for, to deal with the ongoing
fall-out from the fodder
crisis, including planning for
the forthcoming winter and
beyond, as well as dealing with
the mental health issues in the
farming community that were
exacerbated by the incredible
pressure caused by the crisis.

e are all aware of the difficult
situation experienced by many
farmers late last year and in
the first half of 2013 as a result
of a wet summer, exhausted winter fodder
supplies and a delayed spring. With the
immediate pressure off, farmers must be
pro-active in securing adequate fodder
for winter 2013/14. ICSA commodity chairs
Dermot Kelleher, Edmond Phelan and Paul
Brady have proposed the following basic
rules for fodder planning:

• Planning for a five-month winter (1st
November to 1st April) should suffice for the
majority of beef and suckler farmers, though
six months may be advisable for farms in West
Cork, Donegal, Connemara etc.
• One good-quality bale of silage is the
equivalent of one tonne of pit silage. An
average quality bale equates to slightly less
than a tonne of pit material.
• As a rule of thumb for cattle, budget for 10
bales per animal per winter. This allows a
carry-over of one bale per animal.
• For sheep farmers, budget for a three-month
winter, and aim for one bale per ewe per winter.
• Reduce stock numbers this year if you are
concerned that you will still have a silage
deficit this winter. For example, selling seven
store cattle can save 50 tonnes of silage.
• Forage crops can provide a viable feed
alternative, though they are best suited to
drier ground and weanling grazing. While July
is too late to sow kale, there is still time to
sow rape. Ground badly in need of reseeding
may be targeted for forage growing. Due to
the visual appearance of fields after grazing,
it is advisable to use fields on minor roads,
strip graze sections furthest from the road
first and start grazing during dry periods to
minimise poaching.

ICSA have also been in correspondence
with Teagasc Animal Nutritionist Dr
Siobhan Kavanagh, who has kindly
supplied the following advice:
1. S
tart planning now. Those that acted
earliest last year came through the
spring more easily.
2. I ncrease the fodder required by 10-20%
to replace depleted silage stocks.
3. O
nce you have at least 50-60% of your
winter silage requirements, you have
options available.

b. Maximise grass growth on the farm
over the next few months: apply 2030 units of nitrogen (N) to grazing
ground and remove surplus grass
as bales, where possible.

d. Examine the options carefully. Cost
is important but other factors also
need to be considered, including
the risk of poor yields/quality, the
need for storage/handling facilities,
the cost of balancing for protein
and minerals, the labour input,
cash flow implications and feed
space requirements.

6. Don’t panic buy feedstuffs to fill the
gap. Talk to your consultant or Teagasc
adviser before making your decision.

Teagasc carried out the National Fodder Census on July 1st. While the main results were unavailable at the time of print, early indications are that yields of
first cut silage harvested in the first half of June were generally below normal but the quality was good. Yields in the second half of June had improved and
again favourable weather conditions should mean good quality silage was made. A subsequent census will be carried out on October 1st.
To allow farmers to assess whether they will have a surplus or a shortage for the upcoming winter, Teagasc have drawn up a fodder budgeting sheet which
is reproduced on the opposite page. ICSA strongly encourages all its members to immediately carry out a fodder budget calculation. The earlier a potential
fodder deficit can be identified, the more time and options are open to a farmer to take positive action to address any such issue.

et in the heart
of the Massif
Central region,
birthplace of the
world’s most famous
beef cattle breeds, the
Sommet de l’Elevage
(“Livestock Summit”) of
Clermont-Ferrand,France
(October 2nd to 4th)
will welcome all French
breeding organisations
for dairy and beef cattle,
sheep and horses, as
well as all machinery
and farming equipment
manufacturers. 1,250
trade exhibitors and
80,000 visitors are
expected again for this
22nd edition of the show.

Benoit Delaloy, its
International Manager,
says, “Every year, we would
have 2,000 animals on
display from 70 different
breeds. One breed would
be selected to put on a
special show of their stock.
This year is the turn of the
Salers for the beef sector
and the Montbéliarde for
the dairy sector. They will
both organize their national
championship at the
Sommet.”
Through this 3 day event,
Limousin, Charolais,
Blonde d’Aquitaine, Aubrac,
Holstein, Simmental
breeds, to name a few,
will be competing. An
International livestock
evening, on October 2nd,
will also present French

cattle and sheep breeds to
some of the expected 3,000
visitors from overseas.
More than 20 free guided
tours of livestock farms
and agri-food businesses
will be also organised
specially for foreign
delegations. Due to the
success of these tours (700
participants in 2012), early
booking is recommended.
The show’s International
Club will welcome visitors
from all over the world,
where refreshments will be
served, student interpreters
will be available and
information about the show
distributed. Facilities are
available to arrange B2B
meetings and the entrance
to the show is free of charge
for all international guests.
A rich programme
of business forums,
seminars and conferences,
professional promotional
events, a sector innovation
competition, all adds up to
Europe’s leading forum for
livestock professionals. A
success that has reached
the President of France,
François Hollande, who
has announced he will be
attending this year’s event.
More information, please
call Mrs Charlotte Jehanno,
(+353) 86 604 9133. Online
registration for free
entrance and participation
to the guided tours: www.
sommet-elevage.fr

Policy Submissions Update
ICSA Policy Officer Geoff Hamilton presents
a summary of recent ICSA submissions to
Government consultation calls. The full texts
of these submissions is available on the ICSA
website at www.icsaireland.ie/policy/policysubmissions
RDP 2014-2020

positive cumulative impact of yard improvements,
agri-environment schemes, slurry storage
and application technology and better climate
prediction tools now need to be taken into
account. ICSA reiterated the position that farming
decisions must be guided by weather and ground
conditions, not dates on a calendar.

This broad-ranging ICSA submission set
out the Association’s position on where the
focus should lie for Ireland’s next Rural
Development Programme, which is funded
under Pillar 2 of the CAP. Besides an overall
well-funded and supported RDP, ICSA called
for: More streamlining and less administrative
burden; A comprehensive agri-environment
scheme with greater ambition than AEOS;
Expansion of the BTAP and STAP schemes;
Specific Pillar 2 support for suckler farms;
Innovation to improve competitiveness;
Inclusion of the Sheep Grassland Scheme in
the RDP; Top-ups for young farmers involved
in RDP schemes and top-ups for ‘low income
holdings’; Continued support for the organic
sector; Specific focus for Ireland’s upland
resource; Support for farm forestry; Increased
interaction between LEADER schemes and the
agri-food sector.
Following the CAP deal at the end of June,
it is expected that the Government will now
embark on further consultation and meetings
with rural stakeholders. ICSA will remain
deeply engaged with this process.
Nitrates Action Programme
The Government has embarked on its Second
Review of the Nitrates Action Programme. In
its submission, ICSA highlighted the difficulties
caused by calendar farming, which continues
to be problematic from a farming point of view
and also from an environmental standpoint. The

ICSA called for funding for a suite of TAM
measures that could deliver improved
farm safety and animal health & welfare,
namely: Crush equipment with optional head
scoop for safer inspection and dosing of
animals; Smaller dedicated crates for calf
dehorning; Crush extensions for increased
safety at rear of animal; Mobile crush units
for use in field situations; Wired or wireless
cameras for installation in calving sheds;
Calf-weighing equipment; Badger-proof feed
troughs; Tipping water troughs. Through
these measures, ICSA believes that we can
advance the competitiveness of the suckler
sector, whilst improving the overall health and
genetic resources of the national herd.
Dog Microchipping

In summary, ICSA called for: More flexibility
in the Nitrates Action Programme in relation
to appropriate dates for the spreading of
slurry; Advisory service-led guidelines for the
practical implementation of spreading of slurry
to inform best practice and utilise all available
information sources; More flexibility for the
application of Phosphorus to address deficits
and better reflect farming realities.
Suckler TAM Scheme
Minister Coveney recently made a call for
submissions on Dog Microchipping as part
of the passing of the Animal Health and
Welfare Bill into law; he specifically plans to
introduce a regulation which will require the
microchipping of all dogs in the country.

The Department of Agriculture sought
views from the main farming stakeholders
on the potential content of a new Targeted
Agricultural Modernisation Scheme for the
suckler sector. The Suckler Committee
reached a consensus that the most
appropriate use of funding for a Suckler TAM
Scheme would be to prioritise improving
farm safety and welfare through modernised
animal handling facilities. In this submission,

ICSA has been calling for such compulsory
microchipping for many years, and has strongly
welcomed the Minister’s proposal as a solution
to many of the current problems relating to
Ireland’s dog population such as straying,
rehoming, theft, livestock worrying, animal
cruelty and dangerous dogs. This submission
makes a number of recommendations relating
to the implementation of microchipping,
including: Equal chipping rates for all dogs,
regardless of purpose; Restriction of chipping
practice to registered vets, dog wardens and
staff of approved dog shelters; Minimising
of costs; Education regarding requirement
of addition of chip data to a database; Clarity
regarding protocol during change of ownership.
ICSA aim to play an active role in any publicity
campaign during the microchipping rollout.